TORONTO - The Ukrainian National Association emerged from its 34th Regular
Convention, the last of this century and the first to be held in Canada,
with a mandate to merge with both the Ukrainian Fraternal Association (UFA)
and the Ukrainian National Aid Association of America (UNAAA), but with
its flagship daily, Svoboda, reduced to a weekly publication, and its Soyuzivka
resort's season shortened to only the summer months.

The quadrennial convention, held on May 15-19 at the Toronto Hilton,
brought together 227 delegates representing branches from across the U.S.
and Canada.

On May 16, the convention voted overwhelmingly to accept the terms of
the contracts under which mergers with the UFA and the UNAAA would take
place, but rejected the proposal that the UNA change its name to the Ukrainian
National Fraternal Association, in order to accommodate UFA demands. In
doing so, the convention dismissed suggestions by Executive Committee members
who had negotiated the contracts that a refusal of the name change would
endanger the mergers.

On May 19, the final day of the conclave, delegates re-elected Ulana
Diachuk to a third term as president of the fraternal organization, turning
aside a strong challenge from Advisor and The Ukrainian Weekly Editor-in-Chief
Roma Hadzewycz.

In her acceptance speech, Mrs. Diachuk said "at the outset of the
convention I was 100 percent certain I would not be a candidate [for re-election]
... but only at the last minute when I saw your desires, your support and
your confidence in me, I decided to continue to lead this organization."

The UNA president expressed the hope that all in attendance would look
back in four years' time and be proud of what was accomplished at the convention
and confident in the difficult decisions made.

Also returning to office were Anya Dydyk-Petrenko, as second vice-president,
and Martha Lysko as secretary, both elected by acclamation. Treasurer Stefan
Kaczaraj, who assumed the office as acting treasurer when Alexander Blahitka
went on medical leave in November 1997, was confirmed by acclamation as
treasurer.

Two-term incumbent Nestor Olesnycky declined to stand for another term
as vice-president, making way for a newcomer. Chicago's Stefko Kuropas was
elected first vice-president to the Executive Committee.

The Rev. Myron Stasiw, chairman of the convention's organizing committee,
was acclaimed as director for Canada.

William Pastuszek, Stefan Hawrysz, Alexander Serafyn, Yaroslav Zaviysky
and Michael Groch (representing Canada) were elected to the Auditing Committee.
However, either Mr. Groch or Mr. Zaviysky will be asked to step aside when
or if the proposed merger with the UFA goes through, as the contract of
merger stipulates that the UFA would require one auditor and three advisor
positions on the General Assembly.

Alexander Chudolij and Taras Szmagala Jr., were the top vote-getters
in the election for the General Assembly's advisors (in fact Mr. Szmagala's
161 votes was the largest number cast for any post in the final round),
and both were re-elected. Canada's Tekla Moroz was elected to her seventh
consecutive term.

Also re-elected as advisors are Nick Diakiwsky, Walter Korchynsky and
Stephanie Hawryluk. Newcomers are Halyna Kolessa, Dr. Wasyl Szeremeta and
Andre Worobec. Albert Kachkowski of Canada is assured of a place as the
UNA By-Laws require two Canadian advisors, while the newly elected Eugene
Oscislawsky, Barbara Bachynsky and Andrij Skyba would be excused when or
if the merger with the UFA is completed.

Opening of convention

The convention opened on May 15 with the Trillia Trio singing the national
anthems of Ukraine and Canada, while the U.S. anthem and the hymn of the
UNA were sung by Sviatoslava Kaczaraj. A greeting from Ukraine's President
Leonid Kuchma, read by his country's ambassador to Canada, Volodymyr Furkalo,
hailed the UNA as the first organization that united Ukrainians outside
Ukraine.

The Rev. Stasiw, chairman of the convention's organizing committee, welcomed
delegates to Toronto and delivered the invocation.

President Diachuk then announced the opening of the convention, recalling
the formation of the first UNA branch in the host country in 1916 in Toronto.

After the assembly stood for a minute of silence to honor departed UNA
officers and members, the convention delegates got down to business, with
a report by Credentials Committee Chairman George Yurkiw. (Other members
of the committee included Lev Chirovsky, Gregory Klymenko, Myron Kuzio and
Adolph Slovik.)

The convention elected a presidium, chaired by Judge Bohdan Doliszny
of St. Catharines, Ontario, and co-chaired by Ihor Hayda and Taras Szmagala
Sr. Daria Semegen and Andre Worobec served, respectively, as Ukrainian-language
and English-language secretaries. Michael Turko and Stephen Kolodrub were
designated as sergeants-at-arms. Michael Komichak of Pittsburgh acted as
the convention's official recorder.

A 14-member Elections Committee was formed, as were the Secretaries and
Petitions committees.

Reports and discussion

Mr. Szmagala, who chaired the next session, imposed time limits on the
reports by UNA General Assembly members: 10 minutes for executive officers,
five minutes for auditors and advisors, and Mr. Olesnycky was granted half
an hour to read his report on the current status of the UNA. Treasurer Alexander
Blahitka was hospitalized at the time of the convention and could not attend
to deliver his report. Mr. Kaczaraj issued a statement in his stead.

Delegate protests over limitation of discussion time resulted in the
holding of an evening session that lasted until 11 p.m.; discussion of reports
was continued the following morning as well.

Merger

On May 16, upon completion of the discussion about reports, Mr. Olesnycky
outlined the particulars of the contract entered into by the UNA executives
as a result of negotiations with the leadership of the UFA and the UNAAA.
Mr. Olesnycky made it clear that the UFA was insisting strenuously on a
new name for the organization as a condition of the agreement and that the
merger could fall through if it was not secured.

Mr. Olesnycky also said the insurance authorities of New Jersey, who
oversee the UNA, have the final say in approving the merger. After the day's
discussions, voting was conducted on voting machines with ballots that included
three questions requiring a "yes" or "no" answer:

If the Ukrainian National Association merges with the Ukrainian Fraternal
Association, should the name Ukrainian National Association be changed
to the Ukrainian National Fraternal Association?

Should the Ukrainian National Association merge with the Ukrainian
Fraternal Association under the terms and conditions of the contract presented
to the convention delegates?

Should the Ukrainian National Association merge with the Ukrainian
National Aid Association of America under the terms and conditions of the
contract presented to the convention delegates?

The name change was accepted by 137 delegates (61.2 percent), and rejected
by 87 (38.8 percent), but fell short of the two-thirds majority required
to effect a change to the UNA By-Laws.

The questions about the mergers were approved by large margins:196-22
(89.9 percent to 10.1 percent) for the UFA, and 192-25 (88.5 percent to
11.5 percent) for the UNAAA.

A banquet was held during the evening of May 16 at the Toronto Hilton.
The keynote speakers at the banquet were John Gregorovich, chairman of the
Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and Viacheslav Briukhovetsky,
president of the National University of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine.
National Fraternal Congress of America Executive Vice-President David Tetzlaff
also addressed participants.

By-Law changes

The convention's By-Laws Committee, consisting of Leon Hardink (chairman),
Marianne Cizdyn, Steve Czorney, Michael Karkoc and Longin Staruch, submitted
a report on May 17 based on recommendations made by the Executive Committee,
and the process of outlining to the delegates the proposed changes was handled
item by item by Advisor Taras Szmagala Jr., an Ohio-based attorney.

Mr. Szmagala proposed that certain rules governing conventions, the suspension
or dissolution of branches, funds of the UNA, and the fraternal fund be
moved out of the By-Laws and into so-called "rules manuals," so
that changes could be effected without a stringent requirement of a two-thirds
majority vote of convention delegates. The provision passed.

Among the provisions approved by two-thirds majority:

the position of UNA secretary will be referred to as national secretary
throughout the By-Laws;

questions requiring approval by a convention between regular conventions
may be voted upon by mail - such votes are to be conducted by a third party
to ensure privacy of balloting;

all members of the General Assembly and all branch secretaries must
subscribe to one of the UNA's official publications, Svoboda or The Ukrainian
Weekly.

The most far-reaching proposal passed was: "That the General Assembly
of the UNA elected at this convention is hereby directed to prepare a referendum
to amend the Charter and By-Laws of the UNA to provide for a governance
structure consisting of an 11-member Board of Directors to be elected by
the 35th Convention to conduct the business of the UNA between conventions.
The Board of Directors shall meet no less than quarterly, and shall have
the authority to hire the Executive Committee in such manner as it shall
determine. This referendum shall be completed no later than December 31,
1999."

On May 17, delegates helped fill Toronto's St. Patrick's German Catholic
Church, where a UNA-sponsored concert was held featuring the award-winning
women's choir Vesnivka, and singer and ethnomusicologist Alexis Kochan and
her ensemble, Paris to Kyiv.

UNA finances

On May 18, the Financial Committee issued its report. The committee was
composed of John Gawaluch, chairman, Nicholas Fil, Larissa Hwozdulych, Gloria
Paschen and Yaroslav Zaviysky. Aided by the acting treasurer, Mr. Kaczaraj,
the committee made several suggestions to cut the budget.

The budget for 1998 submitted in November 1997 (which predicted an income
of $10,774,000 and $11,024,000 in expenses, resulting in a deficit of $250,000)
was submitted for substantial modification, which would take into account
the restructuring and downsizing of the UNA's operations as agreed at the
convention. It was indicated that $300,000 could be saved by shortening
the Soyuzivka season to June 1 through September 15 and that the deficit
created by the daily Svoboda could be reduced substantially, if not eliminated
totally, if the newspaper were transformed into a weekly.

Svoboda and Soyuzivka

The Finance Committee's report engendered the most emotional debate of
the convention, as it recommended a raft of cuts to fraternal benefits,
centering on the UNA's official publications, the Soyuzivka estate and an
extension of the halt on issuance of UNA dividends.

On the morning of May 18, delegates voted to reject the Finance Committee's
recommendation to make Svoboda a weekly, by a margin of 121-62. However,
later in the day, session chair Taras Szmagala Sr. allowed the Financial
Committee's request for a reconsideration of the vote. Another vote was
taken and the Elections Committee recorded 138 votes for, 47 against, and
10 abstentions to making Svoboda a weekly.

Since the UNA By-Laws stipulate that one of the organization's two official
publications is the Svoboda daily, in order to be adopted the recommendation
needed to pass by a two-thirds vote. According to the UNA By-Laws, such
an amendment must pass with consent from two-thirds of the delegates registered
at a convention.

A total of 195 delegates voted on the Svoboda recommendation, of which
138 is 70.7 percent. However, 227 delegates were registered at the 34th
convention, of which 138 is merely 60.8 percent. The chairman of the session
declared that the measure had passed by the required two-thirds.

The convention also unanimously voted to adjust Svoboda's subscription
rate to $50 annually for non-members and $40 for members, with a provision
to credit current subscribers to the daily for the difference in rates.

The Ukrainian Weekly's rate also was adjusted to $50/$40. The changes
are slated to go into effect July 1.

The Soyuzivka debate also was extensive, and was presided over by Judge
Doliszny. The vote was taken, but the numbers were not recorded by the Elections
Committee, as the chair deemed that a sufficient majority had indicated
they were in favor of the motion to cut the UNA estate's season to three
and a half months. The change is slated to go into effect for the 1999 season.

Secretaries Committee

The Secretaries Committee consisted of Tymko Butrey, chairman, Julie
Guglik, secretary, Myron Groch, Maria Zaviysky, Joseph Hawryluk and Vera
Gojewycz. Their recommendations, adopted unanimously by the convention on
May 18, included: when the financial situation of the UNA improves, to raise
the reward for sale of certificates of class P-65 and P-20 for the first
year from the current 50 percent to 60 percent; for class E-18, E-20 and
E-65 from the current 30 percent to 40 percent. The committee also recommended
to raise the monthly collected dues from the current 12 percent to 15 percent
on certificates across the board; to send the monthly assessment sheets
by the 15th of the month; to issue a dividend in 1998, even for a lesser
amount.

UNA grants

The Petitions Committee, which every four years reviews projects submitted
to the UNA for funding, was sharply restricted in the scope of projects
it could fund. Due to financial constraints, only $3,000 was allocated for
the Petitions Committee, $47,000 less than at the 33rd convention.

Last to report on its work, after balloting on the final elections was
completed on Tuesday morning, May 19, was the Press and Resolutions Committee,
chaired by Roman Ferencevych. Its Ukrainian-language secretary was Halyna
Kolessa, while the English-language secretary was Andrij Kudla Wynnyckyj.
Other members of the committee included Vera Krywyj and Wasyl Sharvan.

The committee issued a general greeting to Ukraine, restated the decisions
adopted by the convention as proposed by its committees, and read out resolutions
proposed by individual delegates.

A directive to the Executive Committee to "hire a competent financial
consultant to review and evaluate the entire UNA organization, its financial
position, and to discover ways and means to restore the UNA to a solid financial
status," passed with 140 for, 23 against and 14 abstaining.

The following resolutions were passed unanimously: that quadrennial district
chairpersons' caucuses be held two years after each regular convention to
provide them with a forum to discuss ideas on organizing; that branch secretaries
be reminded that adherence to the UNA's By-Laws is mandatory in the selection
of delegates to a regular convention; that the UNA General Assembly thoroughly
investigate the area of charitable giving, planned giving and fund-raising
to support UNA fraternal activities, in particular Soyuzivka, with a view
to vigorously employing these means to increase the UNA's annual income;
and that a bust be erected and dedicated at Soyuzivka to the memory of the
late Patriarch Mstyslav as soon as possible.

The Election Committee, chaired by Nicholas Bobeczko, then arrived to
announce the results of the final election (see box). After the delegates
had congratulated Mrs. Diachuk with their applause, Ms. Hadzewycz rose to
deliver her concession speech. The former advisor expressed thanks for the
support offered by delegates and for their willingness to hear new ideas,
and pledged to continue to serve the UNA if offered the opportunity.

Mrs. Diachuk followed with her acceptance speech. She expressed thanks
to Ms. Hadzewycz for standing for office when there was no candidate for
president, and for her dedication and love for the UNA. She offered thanks
for the work of the convention's organizers and its various committees.
The UNA president urged the membership to fraternally greet those who will
soon arrive into the fold following the mergers with the UFA and UNAAA,
and she urged delegates to pledge that they would enroll new members into
the organization.

Thereupon, Honorary Member of the General Assembly Stephen Kuropas Sr.,
97, led the UNA's newly elected leadership in the oath of office.

Mrs. Kaczaraj led the delegates in the singing of the Ukrainian national
anthem, and the Rev. Stasiw led the signing of "Khrystos Voskres,"
a prayer that formally brought to conclusion the 34th Regular Convention
of the Ukrainian National Association.